Method of separating sheets of paper.



No. 648,836. Patented May], I900.

J. M. BLAISDELL.

mambo 0F SEPARATING snas'rs OF PAPER.

(Application filed Feb. 18, 1898.) (No Model.)

JAMES M. BLA-ISDELTJ, OF \VINTHROP,

MASSACHUSETTS, Assrcnoit TO .THE

PERFECTION LABELING MACHINE COMPANY, OF MAINE.

METHOD or SEPARATWGSHEETS or PAPER.

srscrrroarron forming art of Letters Patent as. 648,836, dated May 1,1900.

Application and February 16, 1898.

0T0 a wltom it may concern..-

Be it known that 1, JAMES M. BLAISDELL, of Winthrop, county of Suffolk,and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Methods ofSeparating Sheets of Paper, of whichthe following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likeletters on the drawings representing like parts.

The present invention relates to the art of feeding sheets of paper froma! pile of such sheets, and is embodied in a novel method of separatingthe top sheet from the rest of the, pile through the agency ofatmospheric pressure.

Proceeding in-accordance with the method which forms the subject of thepresent invention, a portion only of the sheet between-the extreme edgesthereof is first subjected to atmospheric pressure by exhausting the airjust above that portion of the sheet, so that 'the air between it andthe sheet next below wil exert an unbalanced pressure tending to lift upthat portion of the sheet and separate it from the surface of the sheetbelow, and to whollylift up the sheet the same action is extended'tosucceeding portions, thus alfording' a progressive action finallyresulting in complete separation.. To determine the distance by whichthe said sheet is to be separated from the others, an object having asuitable surface may be placedover the sheet, the said object preferablyconsisting of a chamber from which the air is partially exhausted andhaving openings in that one of its walls which is adjacent to the sheet,so that it affords the means for exhausting the air above the surface ofthe top sheet. It is obvious that the picking up of a portion'of thesheet in this way will draw the ends of said sheet toward each other, sothat the said ends will travel along instead of away from the sheetbelow, thus obviating the tendency to carrythe said sheet upward bycohesion 'or atmospheric pressure, as is the case where an attempt ismade to lift the ,sheet directlywithout producing a longitudinalmovement thereof alongthe surface of the sheet below. To'jcompletely'separatc the sheet from the one next belowit, the surface ofsaid sheet is caused to be progrcssivelyactcd upon bythe sexism. erasesNo specimens.)

pressure-that is to say, the air is'progressively rarefied or exhaustedabove successive portions of .the sheet-'-this being preferably 7accomplished by moving the chamber aforesaid along adjacent to thesurface of the top sheet, or vice versa. It is desirable in order toprevent the sheet from being bodily car ried forward before it is fullypicked up to retain one edge thereof in contact with the sheet nextbelow during the progressive action above described and to release thesaid edge after the remainder of the sheet is wholly separated.

Figure 1 is a side view of an apparatus which may be employed incarrying out the method; Fig 2, a similar view showing the parts in adlfierent position,- and Fig. 3 a similar View showing the top sheetpractically separated from the one below. v

To illustrate the method a chamber st, from which the air is continuallykept exhausted, as through a pipe a is herein shown as capable of beingmoved alor g adjacent to the top sheet b of a pile of sheets shown aslying on a table or support The wall of the said chamber which isadjacent to the top sheet is perforated, so that the air rushing in willexhaust. or rarefy the air between the wall of said chamber and thesurface of the top sheet, so that the unbalanced pressure of the airimmediately below the's'aid top sheet will tend to lift the same at W,as shown in Fig. 2,when the chamber a is moved over the same. Thelifting of the part b will draw the end'l) of the sheet along thesurface of the sheet below with no tendency to carry the said sheet withit, and as the air is progressively rarefied or exhausted above thesurface of the sheet I) the unbalanced pressure below the 0 same willcontinue to separate it from the sheet next below until, as shown inFig. 3, it is substantially wholly picked up and separated.

' It is desirable to holld a portion of the sheet stationary withrelation to the other sheets 5 during the progressive action, and toillustrate this a clip 0 is herein shown as provided with a finger-piecec for releasing the same after the sheet is fully separated.

As the chamber a is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to thatshown in Fig. 3 (the said chamber being shown as mount d the sheet I; isprogressively acted upon byet on strack (Rand provided with e-handle a)mospheriepressure, first taking the position shown in Big. 2 and finallythat shown in Fig.

'3, at the end of which time the end of the said sheet held by the clip0 maybeireleased:

and will be at once drawn up, so that the sheet is then completelyseparated.

It is 'to' be understood 'th'efthe apparatus" shown anddeseribed'herein'forms no part of the present invention, but is shownmerely for the purpose of clearly illustrating the methodinvolvedyandit'is notintended to limit the invention to any specificcarrying out the method.

' I claim- 1. That improvement in the art or method of separating thetop sheet fromn, pile of means for sheets which consists inprogressively ra'refy-- ing or exhausting the air along andover thesurface of said sheet to subject successive portions of the said sheettounbelanced pressure frombelow, substantially as described. 2. Thatimprovement in the a.rt' or method of separating the top sheet from apile, of sheets which consists in progressively exhausting. the airalong and over the surface of said sheet to subject successive portionsof the" saithshee't tounbeianeedpressure from below, retaining a portionof said sheet stationary during such progressive operation,

two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES BLh IsoE L, V

Witnessesr 1 II. J. LIVERMORE,

N ncr P. Fem) end subsequently releasing the same, snb; stentiallyems-described.

- name to this specification in the preseneeof 35;

